Former Yale Goalie Jeff Malcolm Back In Connecticut

As he transitions from the highest level of college hockey to the entry level of professional hockey, Jeff Malcolm is looking for best competition.

Just a few days ago, that meant playing for the Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL. On Tuesday, the former Yale goaltender was summoned to AHL Hartford when the New York Rangers promoted Cam Talbot to the NHL.

How long Malcolm remains in Hartford is unknown. Veteran Martin Biron cleared waivers and was assigned to Hartford by the Rangers, but he has yet to report.

And on Thursday, Talbot and Jason Missiaen swapped spots. Talbot returns to Hartford to play this weekend and he'll likely return to New York after getting some ice time in the AHL,

So for now, Malcolm is soaking up the experience of practicing with the Wolf Pack. There is much to learn as he embarks on his professional career and there is no better place to learn.

“As a goaltender, you want to get as many reps as you can at the highest pace possible,” Malcolm said this week. “So it will be good for me to be in Hartford for however long. Just getting the reps and getting the experience in all kinds of different situations with the best group of guys out there. That will be the best thing for me.”

Malcolm signed with the Rangers as a free agent after leading Yale to the NCAA title in the spring. He took his place on the organization’s goaltending line behind Henrik Lundqvist, Biron, Talbot, Missiaen and Scott Stajcer. Talbot, the Whale’s starter last season, distinguished himself in training camp before he was sent back to Hartford to start ahead of Missiaen.

But the Rangers juggled their roster this week. Biron and Arron Asham were waived and assigned to Hartford, while Talbot and J.T. Miller were promoted. With Biron contemplating his future -- he is reportedly considering retirement -- Malcolm was bumped up from Greenville.

If he stays, he’ll likely be Wolf Pack backup goalie.Whatever his role, living in AHL will help in his career path.

“Its been an adjustment moving from the college game into the pro game,” Malcolm said ”Faster, smarter, things like that. So I’m still kind of adjust. … It’s the next level. Everything is better.The guys’ shots, where they want to put it, the speed of the game, the thinking aspect of it. Everything is done at a faster pace. You just have less time to do what you want to do out there, so you have to adjust.”

Malcolm blossomed into a professional prospect during his senior season at Yale, so he may still have a higher ceiling as a player. Malcolm’s goal when he signed was to compete for a roster spot in Hartford, but he was realistic and not surprised when he was assigned to Greenville.

“I just wanted to get down there and help that team,” Malcolm said. “But I also wanted to get as many minutes as I could.”

Malcolm, 24, can also use Talbot as a source of inspiration. Talbot, 26, signed with the Rangers as a free agent out of Alabama-Huntsville before serving as a reserve in Hartford and steadily improving his game.

“Just getting to know him, just the way he carries himself as a professional … he’s definitely a role model because of where he’s come from and where he is now,” Malcolm said. “So he’s definitely someone I can have as a resource down the road.”